Inking and watering mechanism for printing presses



c. O; BACHMAN INKING AND WATERING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed Nov. 13, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet l IN VENTOR c4194 0. MCI/M4 ATTORNEYIS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 al I mm Ei- INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Oct. 28, 1958 c. o. BACHMAN INKING AND WATERING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed Nov. 13, 1956 INKING AND WATERING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed Nov. 15, 1956 Oct; 28, 1958 c. o. BACHMAN 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 mvmon CWRZ; 0. Bio/M416,

- ATTORNEYS United States Patent fifice 2,857,840 Patented Oct. 28, 1 958 INKING AND WATERING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING PREssEs Carl 0. Bachman, Cape Vincent, N. Y. Application November 13, 1956, Serial No. 621,738 9 Claims. (Cl. 101-350) This invention relates to inking and watering mecha nism for printing presses, and, more particularly, to apparatus for supplying a continuous and uniform-thickness coating of ink or water to a roll of a printing press.

In the past it has been conventional to use ductor rolls to transfer ink from a fountain roll to an inking roll, the ductor being given an oscillating motion by cam action such as to cause it to move back and forth between the fountain roll and the inking roll. Unfortunately, particularly with the viscous inks used for modern color printing, the non-uniform coating provided the inking roll with a ductor apparatus has caused uneven printing of the paper, fabric, etc., being printed. When the ductor slaps against the fountain roll it pushes the coating of ink on the fountain roll aside in the area of contact, so that an area of thin ink coating is bounded on each side by an area of excessively thickcoating of ink. When the ductor picks up the ink from the fountain roll, the coating thereon is correspondingly uneven, and the inking roll is suppliedwith a like coating.

The water supply apparatus for offset presses has also used: the ductor method of transfer, thereby being sub-.

ject to the same unevenness of coatingof water as noted aboveafor ink.

The: apparatus of. this invention is designed to supply a uniform, even coating of ink to the press by insuring that the: transfer. or: ink contact roll remains continuously in: contact with the press roll to which it supplies ink and. that: it approaches the. fountain or ink supply roll smoothly and continuously so that: the coating of ink on that roll isgradually removed, from it, layer by layer, and supplied as aneven coating to the press roll. The watering, apparatusof the. invention is designed to operate in similar manner to accomplish a like result.

The apparatus. of the invention, generally speaking, includes: a pair of: rolls, one of which is supplied with a coating of inkor water from a source thereof and the other of which is designed to supply. a coating on its periphery to a device which supplies the ink or water to the material to be printed. One of the rolls is eccentrically mounted parallel. to the other and movable gradually and continuously by motion of the eccentric into con.- tact with the other roll and then away therefrom during each rotation of the eccentric. A drive for the eccentric allows. regulation of the rate. of transfer of the ink or water by adjustment of the speed of drive.

For use of the above apparatus for inking, the eccentrically-mounted ink contact roll is maintained continuously in contact with a press roll and rotates at press speed, while the eccentric moves the ink contact roll into and out of contact. with an ink supply roll. Means are also provided for urging the eccentric in such direction as to maintain the ink contact roll in contact with the press roll.

For use of the apparatus of the invention for watering, particularly, the eccentric roll may be a dip roll rotating in the water fountain.

It will be evident that the apparatus of the invention 2 may be adapted for use with an existing press without modification of other than the ink or water supply apparatus of the press. Moreover, the apparatus is designed for letter-press, as well as offset printing, and may be used wherever a continuous, uniform-thickness coating of water or ink is to be supplied.

The apparatus of the invention will now be described in conjunction with drawings showing preferred embodiments thereof.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a substantially schematic showing of the invention as applied to an inking apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a vertical elevational view, partly in section, of an inking apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the apparatus of Fig. 2 taken along line 3-4 of that figure;

Fig. 4- is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a schematic or diagrammatic showing of portions of an offset press having both ink and water supply apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention.

Referring first to Fig. 1 containing a schematic showing of a portion of an inking train, a transfer or ink contact roll 1 is shown mounted between a press roll 2 and an ink roll 3. The ink roll 3 may obtain a coating of ink from a suitable source (not shown). The apparatus is designed to transfer the ink coating on ink roll 3 to the transfer or ink contact roll 1 and from there to the press roll 2, which supplies the ink to the remaining elements of the inking train. The transfer roll and the ink roll have their axes joined by a horizontal line, though of.

course this need not be, but the press roll axis is not in line with the other two rolls. Thereby, it is possible for the transfer roll to be maintained continuously in contact with the periphery of the press roll but to move into and out of contact with the periphery of the ink roll. As shown in the figure, when the transfer roll is in its solid line position, the peripheries of that roll and the ink roll are substantially in contact, while, when the transfer roll is in the dashed line position, the peripheries of the rolls are no longer in contact, and, when the transfer roll is in the dot-dashed line position, the periphery of the transfer roll is spaced by its farthest extent from the periphery of the ink roll. The center of the transfer roll. preferably forms a locus identified in the figure through means (not shown) which move the transfer roll eccentricallyand means (also not shown), which maintain the transfer roll continuously in contact with the press roll.

With the apparatus of Fig. 1, when the transfer roll moves from its dot-dashed line position to its dashed line position and then to its full line position, it gradually and continuously moves toward the ink roll and takes off the outer layer of ink coating on the ink roll, then the next layer, and the next, until it reaches substantial contact with the periphery of the ink roll. Then, the transfer roll retreats back to its original dot-dashed line position out of contact with the ink roll. This action, being gradual and continuous, insures that a uniform coating of ink is removed by the transfer roll from the ink roll and applied to the press r011.

A practical apparatus for accomplishing the results referred to in connection with the diagrammatic showing of Fig. l is disclosed in Figs. 2-4. Referring first to Fig. 2, the press roll, identified with numeral 10, may be part of an existing printing press and form one portion of the inking train thereof. This roll will normally have a fixed axis and rotate, at press speed. The apparatus now to be described supplies ink to press roll 10 in order that the press roll and other elements of the printing press may supply the ink to the paper, fabric, etc. to be printed.

The ink is taken from a pan 13, mounted on the frame. The frame is formed by front and back side elements 14, and a base element 15, the base being fixed to the sides by bolts 16. Mounted to rotate in the pan so as to pick up ink-therefrom is a dip roll 17 keyed to a shaft 18. The dip roll may be of cast iron, if desired. As seen in Fig. 4, the shaft 18 of the dip roll extends through an aperture in the side frame 14 and is journalled therein by a sealed bearing 19. A spacer 2%) is located in the aperture between the bearing 19 and the adjacent surface of dip roll 17. Packing may also be supplied to insure that ink in the pan does not leak out of the side frame.

Referring to Fig. 4, as well as Fig. 2, the shaft 18 also carries a drive sprocket 21 which is adapted to be driven through-an appropriate chain drive by a variable speed drive indicated generally at 22. Drive 22 may therefore rotate roll 17 at various speeds depending on the will of the operator. The sprocket 21 also carries a gear 23, the function of which will be described subsequently.

The side elements of the frame are held together by a cross tie rod indicated at 24 and which when the asso 'ciated nuts 25 are tightened, holds the pan 13 in place by pinching it between side elements 14.

The depth of the ink coating on the dip roll 17 its regulated by apparatus including a doctor blade 26 mounted on a cross bar 27, and whose position with respect to the periphery of the dip roll is adjusted by a regulating screw 28.

The dip roll is in contact with a roll 30 which is preferably of the oscillating type described in my patent, No. 2,579,642, issued December 25, 1951. The oscillating roll 30 preferably has a rubber cover and is mounted on a shaft 31 journalled in bearing 32. Bearing 32 is adjustably mounted in a housing including a plate 33 carrying a pair of vertically extending bars 34 and covered by a cap 35 fixed to the projections 34 by screws 36. The housing is fixed to the side element 14 of the frame by screws 37. The cap 35 is provided with a threaded hole within which a regulating screw 38 extends into contact with the upper surface of bearing 32. The bars 34 are likewise provided with holes through which regulating screws 39 and 40 extend, these screws having their inner ends against the sides of the bearing 32. The bottom surface of bearing 32 rests against the head of an adjustable stop screw 41 which is threaded into a hole in plate 33 of the housing.

By the above-described apparatus, the oscillating roll 30 may be adjusted vertically and horizontally. The vertical adjustment is to permit movement of the oscillating roll toward and away from the dip roll, while the purpose of the horizontal adjustment will be subsequently described.

Mounted parallel to the oscillating roll 30 is a transfer or ink contact roll 45 which is rotatable about a shaft 46. Shaft 46 is an eccentric shaft having two portions, 47 and 48, which are cylindrical about axes 49 and 50, respectively, as shown in Fig. 3. It will be noted that axes 49 and 50 are separated or spaced an appreciable distance, this distance being preferably selected so that the periphery of the ink contact roll and the periphery of the oscillating roll are spaced apatrt at their most remote positions by twice the distance between the center lines. For instance, the axes may be inch apart and the rolls a maximum of inch apart.

The ink contact roll 45 is formed by a metal sleeve 51 carrying a cylindrical rubber sleeve 52. Sleeves 51 and 52 are mounted on eccentric shaft portion 48 by roller bearing 53, the bearing permittting the ink contact roll to rotate independently of the eccentric shaft. Flanges 54 at opposite ends of the roll further support the roll from shaft portion 48.

The shaft portion 47 of the eccentric shaft carries a spur gear 55 which meshes with another spur gear 56 mounted on a rocker shaft 57 by a ball bearing 58. The rocker shaft is journalled in the side elements of the frame by sealed bearings 59.

The spur gear 56 meshes with gear 23 mounted on the sprocket 21, so that the eccentric shaft is driven with the dip roll by the variable speed drive 22.

Eccentric shaft portion 47 is supported by a bearing housing arm 60 shaped in the form of a ball crank lever and having a cylindrical cap 61 which surrounds and is spaced from eccentric shaft portion 47 by roller bearing 62,. The arm 60 is keyed between its ends on rocker shaft The other arm 63 of the bell crank lever carries a pivot pin 64 which is yieldingly urged toward the frame by a tension spring 65. A tension spring adjusting screw 66 and a sleeve 67 between the pivot pin and a nut 63 on the screw are provided for adjusting the force with which spring 65 urges arm 63 of the bell crank lever toward the frame.

The end of spring 65 remote from the arm 63 of the bell crank lever arm carries a screw 69 which is fixed to the main ink fountain supporting shaft 70 by threaded connection with a collar 71 fixed to the shaft. The main support shaft 70 is supported from the base of the frame by a housing 72 bolted to the base.

The arm portion 63 of the bell crank lever has a hearing surface 75 whose innermost position with respect to the base 15 of the frame is regulated by a stop screw "76 threaded into a plate 77 fixed to the base 15.

A limited range of adjustment of the. position of theentire fountain with respect to the press roll 10 is provided by an apparatus including adjusting arm 80, keyed to supporting shaft 75. The adjusting arm 80 carries an adjusting screw 81 which is threadedly engaged with front frame element 14. A pair of lock nuts 82 and 83 on opposite sides of the adjusting arm 80 are provided to lock the adjusting screw in any selected position. When it is desired to change the position of the fountain with respect to the press roll, one of the lock nuts is loosened and the other tightened, thus rotating the whole fountain around shaft 70.

The bell crank lever arm 60 and spring 65 urge portion 47 of the eccentric shaft toward the press roll 10, so that the ink contact roll 45 is maintained continuously in contact with the press roll. However, rotation of sprocket 21 by the variable speed drive causes rotation of the eccentric shaft to move the ink contact roll toward and away from the oscillating roll 30. The action is identical with that described in conjunction with the diagrammatic showing of Fig. 1, and a uniform, evendepth coating is obtained from the oscillating roll and dc posited on the press roll by the ink contact roll 45.

The horizontal adjustment of the oscillating roll 30 described above its provided to permit the oscillating roll to be adjusted toward and away from the ink contact roll 45, to insure that the ink contact roll moves substantially into contact with the periphery of the oscillating roll during each cycle of rotation of the eccentric. Of course, it is not necessary that exact and full con tact be obtained, since the ink contact roll will wipe the ink coating off the oscillating roll even if the peripheries of the two rolls do not come into contact.

The variable speed drive apparatus may rotate the eccentric at any desribale'speed, but it will ordinarily be at substantially lower speed than the speed of press roll 10. For instance, the press roll may be driven at about 250 R. P. M., and the ink contact roll 45 will rotate therewith, while the oscillating roll may rotate at 35 to 50 R. P. M. The ink drive will usually operate at from 10% to 60% of press speed. The adjustment in speed possible with the variable speed drive obviously allows adjustment in the rate of transfer of ink from the tray to the press roll.

As noted above, it is possible for the apparatus of Figs. 2-4 to be used in connection with an existing press, the ink fountain and the rolls described above merely replacing certain of the ink supplying elements of the usual press;

The apparatus of Figs. 24 is especially designed for supplying ink to a reliefor letter press printing apparatus. However, it could also be used to supply water to an offset press if the extreme regularity or evenness of coating obtained with this apparatus were desirable. However, if such precise evenness was not necessary, the apparatus schematically represented in Fig. could be used.

In Fig. 5 the plate cylinder 90 of the printing press is supplied with ink from an inking train 91 including an eccentric roll 92 similar to ink contact roll 45of Fig. 2. The plate cylinder is also supplied with water from a water train 93 which obtains water from a water fountain 94 having an eccentrically mounted dip roll 95 therein. Dip roll 95 moves into and out of contact continuously and uniformly with a water roll 96 which transfers water through the remaining rolls of the watering train to the plate cylinder. The dip roll 95 is preferably constructed in the same manner as the eccentric roll 92 in the inking train.

As usual, the plate cylinder supplies ink and water to a blanket cylinder 97 and the material to be printed is moved between the blanket cylinder and impression cylinder 98.

With the apparatus of Fig. 5, uniformly-thick coatings of water and ink are supplied to the plate cylinder so that the printing on the web of material to be printed is maintained uniform at all times.

It will be evident that many minor changes could be made in the apparatus described above without departure from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be considered limited to the apparatus specifically described, but rather only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. For use in a printing press, apparatus for transferring a material consisting of one of water and ink from a source thereof to a device adapted to transfer it to the article to be printed comprising a first roll mounted on an eccentric shaft and rotatable with respect to the shaft, a second roll substantially parallel to the first roll, means for rotating the second roll and the eccentric shaft, one of said first and said second rolls having its periphery provided with a coating of said material and the other being operable to transfer a coating of material on its periphery to said device, a third roll, means for maintaining the periphery of said first roll continuously in contact with the periphery of said third roll, said first and said second rolls being positioned closely adjacent each other and said eccentric shaft being so designed with respect to the spacing and diameters of the rolls that the periphery of the first roll approaches the periphery of the second roll from a first position spaced away from it smoothly and continuously to a second position such that the peripheries are substantially in contact and then the periphery of the first roll retreats from the periphery of the second roll in the same manner to said first position, once during each revolution of the eccentric shaft, whereby a coating of said material on said one roll is removed therefrom gradually by the other roll during rotation of the eccentric shaft, said other roll receiving first the outermost layer of the coating, then the next inner layer and the next during the movement of the periphery of said first roll toward the periphery of the second roll so that said material is distributed evenly over the periphery of said other roll.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said eccentric shaft comprises two cylindrical portions having spaced axes, said rotating means being operative to rotate one of said portions and said first roll being carried by the other portion.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said maintaining means includes a bell crank lever journalled between its arms and having one of its arms supporting said eccentric bell crank lever and the frameof the press for urging the periphery of the first roll against the periphery of the third roll.

4; For use in a printing press, apparatus for transferring a material consisting of one of water and ink from a source thereof to means including a rotatable press roll adapted to transfer the material to the article to be printed, comprising a first roll mounted on an eccentric shaft and rotatable with respect to the shaft, means for urging the eccentric shaft in such direction as to maintain the periphery of the first roll continuously in contact with the periphery of the press roll so that the first roll rotates at a speed determined by the speed of the press roll, a second rotatable roll supplied with a coating of said material around its periphery from the source, means for rotating the eccentric shaft and the second roll, said first and said second rolls being positioned. closely adjacent each other and saideccentric shaft being so designed with respect to the spacing and diameter of the rolls that the periphery of the first roll approaches the periphery'of the second roll from'a first position spaced away from it smoothly and continuously to a second position such that the peripheries are substantially in contact and. then the periphery of the first roll. retreats from the periphery of the second roll in the samemanner to said first position, once during each revolution of the eccentric shaft, whereby a coating of said material on the second roll is removed therefrom gradually by the second roll during rotation of the eccentric shaft, said first roll receiving first the outermost layer of the coating, then the next inner layer and the next during the movement of the periphery of saidfirst roll toward the periphery of the second roll so that said material'is distributed evenly over the periphery of the first roll.

5. The apparatusof claim 4 in which said urging means includes a bell crank lever, a shaft supportingthe bell crank lever between its ends, one arm of the bell crank lever supporting the eccentric shaft, and spring means uring the other arm of the bell crank lever in such direction as to urge the periphery of the.first roll against the periphery of the press roll.

6. For use in a printing press, inking apparatus for supplying a substantially uniform coating of ink to a rotating press roll comprising a frame, a pan for retaining a supply of ink mounted in the frame, a dip roll mounted for rotation with a first shaft and positioned in the pan to pick up a coating of ink therefrom around its periphery as it rotates, a third roll having its periphery in contact with the periphery of the dip roll and rotatable therewith to receive a coating of ink from the dip roll, an ink contact roll extending substantially parallel to the third roll and the press roll, the third roll and the press roll being spaced a distance not more than the diameter of the ink contact roll, but the axes of the press roll, the ink contact roll and the third roll not being in a straight line so that the ink contact roll need not be in contact with both the press roll and the third roll, an eccentric shaft having two portions cylindrical about spaced axes, the ink contact roll being mounted about one of said portions of the eccentric shaft so as to be rotatable with respect thereto, means for rotating the other portion of the eccentric shaft and the dip roll, and means for resiliently urging the other portion of the eccentric shaft in such direction as to urge the periphery of the ink contact roll against the periphery of the press roll and keep them continuously in contact, the eccentric shaft being operable when rotated to move the periphery of the ink contact roll from a first position spaced away from the third roll smoothly and continuously to a second position substantially in contact with the periphery of the third roll and then to move the periphery of the ink contact roll back to said first position once during each rotation of the eccentric shaft, whereby a coating of ink on the third roll is removed therefrom gradually by the ink contact roll during rotation of the eccentric shaft, said ink contact roll receiving first the outermost layer of the coating, then the next inner layer and the next'during the movement of the periphery of said contact roll toward the periphery of the third roll so that the ink is distributed evenly over the periphery of the press roll.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 in which said urging means includes a rocker shaft mounted on said frame, a bell crank lever keyed between its ends to the rocker shaft, and spring means between the frame and one arm of the bell crank lever, the other arm of the bell crank lever supporting said other portion of the eccentric shaft.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 designed and arranged in such fashion that the maximum spacing between the peripheries of the third roll and the ink contact roll is not substantially more than twice the distance between the axes of said two portions of the eccentric shaft, and including mounting means for the third roll adjustable to move the third roll toward and away from the ink contact roll.

9. For use in a printing press, inking apparatus for supplying a substantially uniform coating of ink to a press roll rotating about a fixed axis comprising a frame, a pan for retaining a supply of ink mounted in the frame, a dip roll mounted for rotation with a first shaft and positioned in the pan to pick up a coating of ink therefrom around its periphery as it rotates, a third roll having its periphery in contact with the periphery of the dip roll and rotatable therewith to receive a coating of ink from the dip roll,

an ink contact roll extending substantially parallel to the third roll and the press roll, the third roll and the press roll being spaced a distance not more than the diameter of the ink contact roll, but the axes of the press roll, the ink contact roll and the third roll not being in a straight line so that the ink contact roll need not be in contact with both the press roll and the third roll, an eccentric shaft having two portions cylindrical about spaced axes,

the ink contact roll being mounted about one of said portions of the eccentric shaft so as to be rotatable with respect thereto, variable speed drive means for rotating the other portion of the eccentric shaft and the dip roll, whereby the inking apparatus may rotate at a speed independent of the speed of the press roll and the ink contact roll and the speed may be adjusted to vary the rate at which ink is supplied to the press roll, and means for resiliently urging the other portion of the eccentric shaft in such direction as to urge the periphery of the ink contact roll against the periphery of the press roll and keep them continuously in contact, the eccentric shaft being operable when rotated to move the periphery of the ink contact roll from a first position spaced away from the third roll smoothly and continuously to a second position substantially in contact with the periphery of the third roll and then to move the periphery of the ink contact roll back to said first position once during each rotation of the eccentric shaft, whereby a coating of ink on the third roll is removed therefrom gradually by the ink contact roll during rotation of the eccentric shaft, said ink contact roll receiving first the outermost layer of the coating, then the next inner layer and the next during the movement of the periphery of said ink contact roll toward the periphery of the third roll so that the ink is distributed evenly over the periphery of the press roll.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,945,631 Fankboner Feb. 6, 1934 2,369,814 Worthington Feb. 20, 1945 2,474,160 Peyrebrune June 21, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 168,173 Great Britain Sept. 1, 1921 180,940 Austria July 15, 1954 

